Emotional Healing

But in the beginning of the process, once you reach a clean place, you may seem very aloof, even cold; it's only through acting with a detached compassion, ready to die for the intent to heal yourself, that you once again become someone people are drawn to emotionally.

"I must not fear. Fear is the mind-killer. Fear is the little death that brings total obliteration. I will face my fear. I will permit it to pass over me and through me. And when it is gone past, I will turn the inner eye to see its path. Where the fear has gone there will be nothing.

There are four main emotional positions or poles, within the emotional body that shamans seem to have settled on a long time ago. Shamans have long recognized that all the emotions play a central role in our worldviews. However, often they are destructive influences in attempting to gain insight into other ways of perceiving, since by their very nature, they demand a particular position.

Once you're in the maw of the beast, very little will work except to just grab on with all four sets of nails and your teeth and ride the bastard out.

How do you combat depression? It's the little things that count first. I know, everyone wants the big stuff, the whole enchilada, let's save the universe, etc.

That always reminds me of the Chinese prayer I have been mindful of all these years: "Lord, please reform the world, starting with me." Depression starts in small ways - you just don't notice it until it looms up and smacks you in the head.